TNAG-2133-FCO40-3048-Hong-Kong-and-the-ivory-trade-1990 — Page 79

3. The 7th Conference of the Contracting Parties to CITES

took place in Lausanne from 9-20 October 1989. The main

issue was a series of proposals to re-list the African

elephant from Appendix II of CITES, on which it had been

listed in 1977, to Appendix I. The supporters of these proposals maintained that without a worldwide ban the

elephant would face extinction. Opposing them were Southern African countries, led by Zimbabwe and Botswana, which maintained that the solution to the elephant problem was elephant management and controlled culling, together with more effective control of poaching. They pointed to the

increase in the number of their elephants as evidence that

this approach and not a ban which would hit rural

communities and conservation programmes which depended on

revenue from legal ivory was the right one. No compromise

was reched at the Conference and Parties eventually adopted

a Somali proposal, by 76 votes to 11 with 4 abstentions,

which listed the elephant on Appendix I but which will allow

those countries which can demonstrate before the next

Conference in 1991/1992 that their elephant populations can withstand exploitation to have them listed again on Appendix

The UK, together with our EC partners, voted in favour.

II.

4.

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The second major issue at the Conference was a series of

proposals to allow continued trade in existing ivory stocks.

This was of immense importance to Hong Kong, which then had

an estimated 670 tonnes of ivory worth some £85m. Hong

Kong, as a Dependent Territory, is not separately a Party to

CITES but was represented on the UK delegation. The

Conference was not however convinced by the presentation of

Hong Kong's case and voted heavily against continued trade. The UK abstained on behalf of Hong Kong, as did Portugal on

behalf of Macao.

/5.